The invention relates to a method for operating a magnetohydrodynamic pump for a liquid-metal anode of an X-ray source, with an X-ray arrangement and with a liquid-metal anode for an X-ray source with a liquid metal which is located in a line, wherein one part of the line is formed as a region of focus, and with a pump for circulating the liquid metal in the line and with a cooling system for the liquid metal.
It has been known since recently to produce X-ray beams, not via a solid-metal anode which is bombarded by electrons, but with a liquid-metal anode. This technique is called LIMAX (Liquid Metal Anode X-ray). Such a liquid-metal anode requires the following components for its operation. There is located in a line a liquid metal which must have a high average atomic number in order to achieve a good X-ray yield when bombarded with electrons. An anode module in which the electron beam strikes the liquid metal and the X-ray beam is produced is inserted into the line around the region of focus. At this point, the anode module must be formed such that it displays only a weaker interaction with the electrons passing through it. As a rule, this is achieved with a so-called electron window in which the electrons passing through are only slightly slowed down. To remove the heat produced in the region of focus, a pump is used which circulates the liquid metal through the line and thus also the region of focus. If a closed circuit of the liquid metal is used, a cooling of the heated liquid metal is achieved via a heat exchanger. Due to the predetermined framework conditions, it is necessary—as already stated above—for the liquid metal to have a high average atomic number and also an average melting point. Furthermore, the liquid-metal anode must be designed extremely compact. Thus there are marked restrictions for all of the above-named individual parts of the liquid-metal anode in respect of their interactions, because the individual parts must fit together well. This also applies in particular to the pump for circulating the liquid metal.